Military commanders want to choose their own battlefield apps

By FCW Staff

Sep 14, 2012

The military is seeing fewer casualties from roadside bombs in Afghanistan, but commanders in the field say they're still higher than they should be due to the data tools available, according to a report in Information Week.

The number of deaths has dropped by 10-12 percent so far this year compared to last, reports Kevin Fogarty, drawing on other published articles. DOD requires its commanders to use the Distributed Common Ground System-Army (DCGS-A) tool, which draws data from various sources to provide useful information on the ground.

The Army is also experimenting with an apps store-like approach to let commanders choose intelligence analysis tools on their own. However, some field leaders are pressing for the freedom to bypass DCGS-A altogether and choose other tools, Fogarty reports.

FCW investigated efforts by the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to improve a joint data repository on military and veteran suicides. Something as impersonal and mundane as incomplete datasets could be exacerbating a national tragedy.